Taking the PLUNGE.

"Do a little more each day than you think you possible can." Lowell Thomas

This is the "Little Engine that Could" philosophy. 

"I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...."

I am no extraordinary person. To look at me you see a 39 year old woman who could use 10 lbs of body fat and her eyebrows waxed. I love my sweat pants..not even yoga pants that everyone totes around in these days. No, the old fashion elastic band sweatpants. I prefer not to get all dolled up unless I  am going to see people....people I know! I have no great talents. I can't sing, I can't draw, I have nothing that would qualify me for Americas Got Talent.

I am basic, ordinary and nothing that stands out in a crowd. 

What I have can not bee seen with by the naked eye. It is hidden. It is often guarded like a fortress. 

I HAVE HEART. Some call it a Napoleon Complex. I am good with that too seeing that I am a pipsqueak. 

But it is Heart.  

It is the the fight in me. It is more than just digging deep- it is knowing that God made me to be "More than a Conqueror."

Sometimes the biggest FIGHT we have within us is learning when NOT to Fight. 

Sometimes the biggest FIGHT we have is OURSELVES!

Sometimes the biggest FIGHT we have is not even OUR fight.

Sometimes the biggest FIGHT we have is believing we can FIGHT. 
 

I finished 50 minutes on the elliptical and 3 miles on the track. I felt my heart skip a beat when I saw a bobbing ponytail ahead of me and thought "I can catch her."

I felt rejuvenated every time I passed someone around the track. There were others that passed me as well but it was the thrill of the competition that kept me alive as I ran around that track more than 12 times. 

My legs felt like Jello before I had even made it once around the track but I knew just to KEEP GOING. 

After running I did some abs and then headed to the locker room. 

The day before I attempted to do the COLD PLUNGE. 

10 SECONDS! 10 measly seconds and I thought the vessels in my legs were going to EXPLODE!

I had never experienced pain like that in my life. "Paula" says she does this for 10 minutes. HOW? 

When I spoke to "Paula" about my 10 seconds in the torture chamber she laughed at me. "You have to do it a little at a time, you have to try and go a little longer..."

"Do a little more each day than you think you possible can." Lowell Thomas

She and her friend gave me more than a lot of laughs they also gave me a few tips.  

I cautiously approached the torture chamber. The small pool of water looked innocent enough. And I laughed because I had always thought HELL was HOT...No HELL was freezing ice cold calm waters.

I bundled myself up in warm towels and wrapped them around my upper body and head. As I sat down on the tile it felt comforting compared to what I was about to subject myself to. I reminded  myself this was good for the knees and joints. This is good for recovery. 

I put my bad knee in alone. Then I took my knee back out. back in...back out.. I gripped the towel with all the life in me. I thought my foot was going to explode. The pain was excruciating. "Hold it Nita, Hold it." I bit into the towel and closed my eyes. 

Then the numbness replaced the agonizing pain.

Leaving that leg in I fearfully placed my other leg into the icy tub. And pulled it back out with in seconds. I looked at the clock and plunged it back in. "Go Longer Nita..." 

Back in and out finally I just buried my face deep within the towels and bit down again. I was whimpering in pain begging the numbness to present itself. I didn't care who heard as I cried into the warmth of the towel. "Just a little bit longer." 

5 MINUTES! I made it to 5 minutes.

Yesterday I never thought it was possible to do more than 10 seconds and today I did it farther than I ever thought was POSSIBLE!

I had no knee pain today. My legs felt good ALL day!

BENIFITS of COLD PLUNGE:

• Improves recovery time after a workout by shocking the body
• Numbs the body which reduces swelling
• Increases blood flow which aids in recovery

Check out cold plunge baths to learn more. 

Life and Running Collide:

Again, I have no super hero talents. But I do have a Super God who has supplied me with a super heart to go a little farther with everything in running and in LIFE.

My Life verse is Jeremiah 33:3 "Call unto me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which thou knowest not."

 I find myself doing things I never thought was possible. 

I know the "Anita" from 20 years ago. I have gone farther than I ever thought was ever possible.  Being Victorious is not like winning the Lottery. You do not just suddenly Arrive. 

It is painstaking and difficult. It is a little here and a little there. It is getting back up after the fall and reaching forward when you want to fall back in. 

It is gritting your teeth and begging God to give you strength and wisdom to get just a little bit farther. 

I have many dark days. I have days that I do not want to come out of the house or talk to people. I have days that I feel so fragile that just a look or the wrong word from someone might break me. I look at people and in my brokenness can not fight off the hurtfulness of others that I have have been so good at doing until late.

HOWEVER...I am aware. And each day I am doing something more than I thought was possible. 

Running is easy right now. Taking the PLUNGE was difficult but I did it more than I ever thought. That gives me hope. I know I am going to be good again. 

One day at a time. I am Grateful to God for my FIGHT. It may be a pathetic looking fight but I am fighting....

Love to those who have encouraged me so much, Ali for your laughs, texts and stellar euchre skills, Sarah, for your tears and for listening to my tears, Leeanne, for believing... Paula, you are a powerful prayer warrior, Danielle...your commitment is so encouraging. Paula J. loving me like your own. 

Andy...For seeing me in my darkest hours. And knowing how bad I am.. I know how hard it has been to see me like this. 

Believe in YOURSELF. Go a LITTLE bit farther each day. Fall..Oh well GET BACK UP. 

Anita